MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA -- Simona Halep had just lost to Paula Badosa 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the Miami Open on Tuesday, but she couldn't help but smile and flash a thumbs up to the crowd as she walked off the court.
For Halep, the day was "special" regardless of the result, as it marked the welcome conclusion of an 18-month absence from competition due to a doping ban.
The former world No. 1 and two-time major champion tested positive for roxadustat, a banned blood-booster substance, at the 2022 US Open and had not played since. Originally given a four-year suspension -- which the 32-year-old said Tuesday would have effectively ended her career -- it was reduced earlier this month to nine months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) accepted her claim that she was not completely at fault.
As the ban was applied retroactively, Halep was immediately cleared to play, and the Miami Open granted her a wild-card entry soon after.
Halep looked strong in the opening set against Badosa, but her level dropped in the second and third sets, perhaps due to rust and long stretch away from match play. She needed treatment on her right shoulder during a medical timeout late in the second set and had 10 double faults in the match.
But Halep still seemed happy to be back as she walked into her postmatch news conference. She told reporters, "I missed this" as she sat down in her chair. She went on to say she felt a mixture of nerves, excitement and other emotions, but she expressed her gratitude to the tournament and the fans for giving her such a warm welcome.
There were several Romanian flags in the crowd at Grandstand Stadium, and "Si-mon-a" chants were heard throughout the match.
"I would rate it as a special day, honestly, considering the period I had," Halep said. "Playing so well, feeling so well on court, feeling so well outside of the court with so many people that are very nice to me and giving me the love, I would say that this day is going to stay very special for me.
"Of course, I had many results in the past, big results. But here, it's something more than tennis; it's something personal. I really love to see that people are appreciating me beside tennis and beside everything that happened."
The warm reception wasn't just limited to fans. Even Badosa said she was pleased to see Halep.
"It's very nice to have Simona back," Badosa said during her on-court interview. "Honestly, for me today, it was very mental because she was one of the players I always looked up to, and I can say she was one of my idols, so playing against her was really tough. And that's why at the beginning I started a little bit nervous.
"But she really inspires me and it's so nice to have her back."
The Spanish player understood why the crowd was cheering for Halep.
"I would cheer for her also," Badosa said.
Caroline Wozniacki, who defeated Halep in the 2018 Australian Open final, offered a different tune. Wozniacki told reporters after her 6-1, 6-4 win over Clara Burel on Tuesday that despite having a "good relationship" with Halep, she didn't think she should have received a wild card to play in the tournament.
"This is not directly at Simona, but if someone purposely cheats, if someone has tested positive for doping -- I understand why a tournament wants a big star in the tournament -- and it's not a knock on anyone, but it's my personal belief that I don't think people should be awarded wild cards afterwards."Caroline Wozniacki
"I've been very outspoken in the past how I feel about doping and all of that," Wozniacki said. "I think my view on doping is the same. I have always wanted a clean sport, fair for everybody.
"This is not directly at Simona, but if someone purposely cheats, if someone has tested positive for doping -- I understand why a tournament wants a big star in the tournament -- and it's not a knock on anyone, but it's my personal belief that I don't think people should be awarded wild cards afterwards. If you want to come back, and it's been a mistake, I understand; you should work your way up from the bottom."
During an appearance on the "Served with Andy Roddick" podcast, tournament director James Blake said it was his decision to grant Halep a wild card. He explained that one women's wild card was saved in case Halep was cleared to play.
Blake said he reached out to Halep's former coach Darren Cahill to confirm she had been training and would be ready to compete before extending the invitation.
"We all came to the same conclusion to welcome her back," Blake said.
When told about Wozniacki's comments later in the day, Halep was steadfast in her innocence.
"I didn't do anything wrong," Halep said. "I didn't cheat. I didn't dope. So, it's better if we read the decision from CAS that it was a contaminated supplement. It wasn't doping. I never had something to do with doping. I never doped, so I'm not a cheater.
"Thank you to the tournament for giving me the wild card. ... It was great to be back. Only one person being negative about me is not that important because I have hundreds of people giving me love, so I will take that."
Other first-round women's results included a 6-3, 6-3 loss by seven-time Grand Slam title winner Venus Williams, 43, against Diana Shnaider, 19.